Lotus has revealed the Exige Sport 380, which it confidently calls a ‘supercar killer’.
The lightweight Exige has been given a thorough going over by the Hethel-based manufacturer to make the most extreme variant it has ever sold.
The manufacturer has stayed true to its traditional ethos of low weight and shunning electrical interference, even for this extreme model of the Exige. It’s lighter than the Sport 350 model introduced last year, now tipping the scales at just 1,066kg.
Lotus has traditionally built cars that are more about fun cornering than outright speed, but the Sport 380 is no slouch – it completes the 0-60mph sprint in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 178mph.
To reduce weight, carbon-fibre was fitted throughout the bodywork. New lightweight components include the front splitter, rear wing and rear diffuser. Transparent polycarbonate is used for the rear window to shave off a few more grammes, while a lighter battery and new forged alloy wheels contribute a combined 20kg weight saving.
The 3.5-litre supercharged V6 creates 375bhp and 410Nm of torque. The power hike is attributed to a revised supercharger pulley, uprated fuel pump, revised exhaust system and tweaked ECU.
The six-speed manual gearbox is beautifully designed with an open gate allowing passengers to see the mechanism in all its glory.
The Lotus Exige Sport 380 is available as both a convertible and a coupe, with prices starting at £67,900.
